17 Wards · England & WalesUpdated March 2026Source: Police.uk

Crime by Area in Colchester

Q: Which area of Colchester has the highest crime rate?

Greenstead has the highest crime rate in Colchester.

Q: Which is the safest ward in Colchester?

Wivenhoe has the lowest crime rate among Colchester's wards.

Q: How many wards does Colchester have?

Colchester has 17 electoral wards with crime data available.

Compare crime rates across all 17 wards in Colchester. Filter by crime type to find the safest and highest-crime areas. Click any ward to see specific hotspot locations.

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Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry

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trending_up

Fastest Rising (3 months)

Marks Tey and Layer +100.0% trending_up Old Heath and The Hythe +43.9% trending_up Rural North +39.3% trending_up

trending_down

Fastest Improving (3 months)

Tiptree -21.6% trending_down Shrub End -14.9% trending_down Wivenhoe -4.9% trending_down

Top 10 Wards by Rate

All Wards — Ranked by Crime Rate

All crime types

#	Ward	Rate /1k	Count	3-Month Trend
1	Greenstead	149.0	217	trending_up+13.6%	chevron_right
2	Castle	140.1	307	trending_up+31.8%	chevron_right
3	New Town and Christ Church	113.3	174	trending_up+3.6%	chevron_right
4	Berechurch	87.8	91	trending_up+8.3%	chevron_right
5	Mile End	86.0	154	trending_up+19.4%	chevron_right
6	Shrub End	80.8	97	trending_down-14.9%	chevron_right
7	Old Heath and The Hythe	73.8	95	trending_up+43.9%	chevron_right
8	Stanway	70.6	91	trending_up+33.8%	chevron_right
9	St Anne's and St John's	64.0	61	trending_up+13.0%	chevron_right
10	Marks Tey and Layer	54.1	74	trending_up+100.0%	chevron_right
11	Prettygate	53.9	47	trending_up+4.4%	chevron_right
12	Highwoods	46.3	80	trending_up+11.1%	chevron_right
13	Mersea and Pyefleet	41.1	31	trending_up+10.7%	chevron_right
14	Tiptree	39.8	29	trending_down-21.6%	chevron_right
15	Rural North	33.5	39	trending_up+39.3%	chevron_right
16	Lexden and Braiswick	31.8	31	trending_up+19.2%	chevron_right
17	Wivenhoe	31.0	39	trending_down-4.9%	chevron_right

About this data: Crime rates are annualised per 1,000 residents using ONS Census 2021 population data. 3-month trend compares the most recent month against 3 months prior. Data covers England and Wales only and is sourced from police.uk monthly crime records. Full methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which area of Colchester has the highest crime rate?

Greenstead has the highest crime rate in Colchester, with 149.0 crimes per 1,000 residents annually. Click the ward name to see its specific hotspot locations.

Which is the safest ward in Colchester?

Wivenhoe has the lowest crime rate among Colchester's wards, with 31.0 crimes per 1,000 residents annually.

How many wards does Colchester have?

Colchester has 17 electoral wards with crime data available from police.uk.